Aspects of the technology described herein relate to ultrasound device circuitry as may form part of a single substrate ultrasound device having integrated ultrasonic transducers. The ultrasound device circuitry may facilitate the generation of ultrasound waveforms in a manner that is power- and data-efficient.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the first group of chained delay units comprises a shift register.
3. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging device is configured to use a control signal that controls which one of the first plurality of signals is used for driving the first ultrasound transmission unit.
5. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the delay circuitry is disposed in an application-specific integrated circuit that interfaces directly with the ultrasound transmission units.
6. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging device is configured to use delayed signals generated by the delay circuitry to steer ultrasound fields generated by the ultrasound imaging device.
7. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the ultrasound imaging device is configured to use delayed signals generated by the delay circuitry to generate three-dimensional plane wave fields.
8. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of ultrasound transmission units comprise a plurality of ultrasound elements arranged in a two-dimensional array.
9. The ultrasound system of claim 8, wherein the two-dimensional array comprises more than 1,000 ultrasound elements.
10. The ultrasound system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of signals each delayed by a different amount are each delayed by a multiple of a clock period.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first group of chained delay units comprises a shift register.
15. The method of claim 11, wherein the delay circuitry is disposed in an application-specific integrated circuit that interfaces directly with the ultrasound transmission units.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein the method ultrasound imaging device is configured to use delayed signals generated by the delay circuitry to steer ultrasound fields generated by the ultrasound imaging device.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the ultrasound imaging device is configured to use delayed signals generated by the delay circuitry to generate three-dimensional plane wave fields.
18. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of ultrasound transmission units comprise a plurality of ultrasound elements arranged in a two-dimensional array.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the two-dimensional array comprises more than 1,000 ultrasound elements.
20. The method of claim 11, wherein the first plurality of signals each delayed by a different amount are each delayed by a multiple of a clock period.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 17, 2022
February 27, 2024
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.